The process of bra fitting is complicated by variations in size, shape and disposition of breasts. Many women are never measured for a bra and not instructed how a bra should fit. Young women purchasing their first bras are often uncomfortable with seeking advice. Women often merely rely on previous experience for roughly estimating the size required, which process can result in poorly fitting garments considering changes in breast size and shape that occur during life.
Often, a bra is selected based on a favorite style or make, regardless of the accuracy of the fit. As a result, the customer may purchase a bra which fits improperly.
Finding a correctly fitting bra is further complicated by the problem that many women fall in between the designations on standard sizing systems.
Poorly fitting bras are uncomfortable and often provide insufficient support, which, in turn can lead to various health problems. This is especially true during the teenage years.
Bra sizing is traditionally done by determining two specific values: band size and cup size.
Band size, typically expressed in inches in the United States, is conventionally determined first by measuring the circumference around the wearer's torso immediately below the breasts (the “underbust” measurement) with a conventional tape measure then adding several—typically five—inches (a “torso factor”) to arrive at the correct band size.
Cup size, typically expressed as a letter size, is conventionally determined by first taking a measurement of circumference around the wearer's torso at the “apex” or fullest part of the breasts (the “overbust” measurement) then calculating the difference between the apex or overbust measurement and the band size. By standard practice, a difference of one inch corresponds to an A cup, two inches to a B cup, three inches to a C cup, and so on.
It can be seen that this traditional method of bra sizing is complicated; the process often produces errors that result in improper size selection and poorly fitted garments. Previous inventors have sought to address this deficiency. A harness-type bust measuring apparatus having an adjustable horizontal measuring tape or strip and at least a pair of vertically disposed measuring tapes or strips trained through the horizontal tape is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,125. However, measurement of band, chest or torso size as necessary values to be used in the determination of cup size is not done using this device. Further, the device requires that it be worn by the user while the measurement is being made, which can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.
Another bust measuring apparatus known in the art has separate measuring tapes for taking band size and apex measurements combined into a single circular device. The device clips onto the center back strap of a person wearing a bra. After band and apex measurements are taken, cup size is found by lining up the appropriate values found for band and apex into a “conversion wheel”—a type of circular conversion table where the calculated value sought appears in a cut out window when the corresponding band and apex dimensions are lined up correctly on the face of the wheel—incorporated into one side of the device.
While some of the complexity associated with bra sizing is alleviated by allowing the user to determine bra size by “dialing” the appropriate band size and apex measurements into the conversion wheel once known, that device still requires the user to convert the previously obtained band size and apex measurements in order to arrive at the proper cup and bra size. Since this step requires that the user not only remember the measurements taken, but also to line up the corresponding measurements on the conversion wheel correctly, the possibility for error still remains significant.
Further, the user is also required to wear the device on the center of the back strap of their bra in order to obtain proper measurements, which can make using this device more time consuming, awkward, and uncomfortable to obtain bra size measurements than taking the same measurements conventionally with a single flexible tape measure.
A method where bra size is determined by direct measurement of the breast is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,809. The method disclosed determines cup size by directly relating it to measurement of the circumference of each unclothed (bare) breast, with a single flexible tape measure used to measure each breast laterally from the beginning of one side of the breast mound to the parastemal area medially. While this method takes some of the complexity out of bra sizing by directly measuring the breast itself, several shortcomings are evident.
The need for measurements of the bare breast may result in socially awkward situations when another person is responsible for taking the wearer's measurements, such as would commonly occur in a retail setting, since many women would not feel comfortable having a “fit specialist” put measuring tape to a bare breast in order to obtain the required dimensions.
Self-measurement of the required dimensions can also be difficult and inaccurate due to the awkwardness involved with having the wearer keep the tape positioned in the right place around the bust while taking the measurements; movement of the arms up or down can change torso measurements, so even relatively small changes in arm position can introduce significant error into the measuring process.
Additionally, a direct cross-measurement of the bare breast—regardless of who does the Measuring-may not always be an accurate means of determining cup size. Since cup size is a function of capacity or volume, two women may have different cross-measurements due to differences in the position and shape of their bare (unsupported) breasts, but actually require the same sized cup.
Further, even though the breast is measured directly, a conversion calculation wherein a measurement of seven inches is converted to an “A” size, eight inches to a “B” size, nine inches to a “C” size, and so on, is still required, which increases the potential for error.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,180 provides a measuring device in the form of a two-sided flexible tape for determining bra sizes comprising a length of material having an outer surface and an inner surface.
In one embodiment of the U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,180, the outer or front surface of the measuring device is used to determine an underbust measurement, and has a set of sequential dimension and band size markings printed on it. These markings divide the front surface by standard units of length (typically inches and subunits thereof). Additional band size indicator markings printed beneath the length markings on the front surface allow the corresponding band size for each measurement to be read directly from the front surface immediately after obtaining the underbust measurement. The inner or back surface of the measuring device is used to determine cup size and overall bra size, and has a set of sequential dimension and bra size markings printed on it. These markings divide the back surface by standard units of length (typically inches and subunits thereof). Additional bra size indicator markings printed beneath the length markings allow the corresponding bra size to be read directly from the back surface after first determining the proper band size using the front surface as described above, then taking a measurement of the apex circumference using the back surface. The '180 patent states that while its measuring device is described as including linear measurements on the first line of the measurement device, that the band and bra sizes can be determined directly from the measurement device without taking actual circumference measurements. However, the device of the '180 patent as described in its single practical embodiment requires the one determining bra size to take and recall both band size and overbust size measurements. This sequence, in turn, necessitates using both sides of the measuring tape of the '180 patent in obtaining the customer's bra size.